To finish up my thoughts on Santa Fe, I have to say in general I really liked the place. It is refreshing to know that there is a city in the US that doesn’t have over a million people but still manages to be pedestrian oriented. Sure you don’t really need to drive if you live in Chicago or New York City, but Santa Fe is a small city.

Now, I did not get to really interact with many locals or really get much more than a cursory feel for the culture. There seems to be quite a retirement community in the older part of the city, but the city as a whole seems geared towards families. Again, that’s just a cross section. The down town areas definitely weren’t set up for kids or families.

The athletic facilities for swimming were disappointing. It’s a serious bummer to see a full olympic sized pool that isn’t kept at the right temperature. This could be one of the best triathlon or swimming training locals in the country and probably still is a great place for cycling or running. It just misses the mark on the swimming to cater to misinformed retirees. This is a huge let down for me as a swimmer.

On the up side, there are still dozens of trails I can’t wait to try out. With all the variation and places to go, I don’t think Santa Fe can be beat as a runners haven. Even if you don’t want to get out into the countryside, the town itself has plenty of good trails. If you are willing to risk it – an excursion into the mountains and hills will combine hard work with excellent vistas.

I look forward to getting a chance to go back and run – and try some of the more omnivorous restaurants. Even though I’m disappointed with the pool temperature, I wouldn’t mind training there just for the altitude. That being said, there’s a pool in Los Alamos (not to far away) that is the highest olympic pool in country/world – It’s the highest altitude pool that I know of, and I will hopefully be able to swim in it here in a few months.